Door control apparatus



Dec. 21, 1965 A. L. PELCIN 3,224,802

DOOR CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORALBERT L. PELCIN ATTORNE S Dec. 21, 1965 A. L. PELCl-N 3,224,802

DOOR CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ALBERT L PELCIN ATT RNEYS United States Patent M s,224,sn2 D9015.CGNTRGL APPARATUS Albert EL. Pelcin, @aitwood Village, Redford, @hio,as-

signor to The Eastern Company, Cleveland, @hio, a corporation ofConnecticut Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 302,983 12 Claims. (Cl.292-246) This invention relates to door control apparatus for aswingable door and, more particularly, to control apparatus of the latchand keeper type having an associated holdopen means for holding the doorin an open position.

In various vehicles including those of the refrigerator type, the accessopening to the cargo chamber usually has a swingable door which maycause damage, or be subject to damage, unless the door is held in agiven position when it has been opened. The present inventionaccordingly provides novel door control means of the latch and keepertype having associated hold-open means for holding the door in a givenopen position where it will not be likely to cause damage or be subjectto damage.

One example of a situation where such a door is likely to cause damageor personal injury is when the vehicle is standing adjacent a trafficlane and the opened door is permitted to extend into such traffic lane.The holdopen means provided by this invention prevents this condition byholding the opened door in a position adjacent a side wall of thevehicle body.

Another example of such a situation is where the door in question is arear door of the vehicle body and the opened door is permitted to standin, or is accidentally swingable to, a position in which it couldcollide with a loading dock when the vehicle is being backed toward thelatter. Again, the hold-open means of this invention prevents damage byholding the opened door in a position adjacent the side wall of thevehicle body.

As a further object thereof, this invention provides novel door controlmeans comprising mechanism of the latch and keeper type and having aprojecting stem or finger means, and an associated hold-open meanscomprising bracket means and a door-restraining member movable relativeto the bracket means and having an opening for releasably receiving suchstem or finger means.

Still another object is to provide novel door control and hold-openmeans of the character above indicated wherein the latch mechanismincludes actuating means of the rotary bar type for the latch member andthe projecting stem or finger means extends along the axis of the rotarymovement of the bar.

Yet another object is to provide such a novel door control and hold-openmeans in which the bracket and associated door-restraining member are ona side wall of the vehicle body and are preferably located in a gap orrecess of rub-rail means mounted on such side wall.

Additionally, this invention provides novel door control and hold-openmeans of the character mentioned above and having spring means forurging the door-restraining member in a direction to maintain theprojection means or finger engaged in the opening of the doorrestrainingmember, the spring means being also effective to urge thedoorrestraining member to a parked position adjacent the side wall ofthe vehicle body.

()ther objects, novel characteristics and advantages of this inventionwill be apparent in the following detailed description and in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

FIG. 1 is a partial side and rear perspective view of a vehicle bodyhaving the novel door control and hold-open means of this inventioninstalled thereon, and showing the door being held in an open positionadjacent a side wall of the vehicle body;

3,224,892 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 FIG. 2 is a partial rear elevation ofthe vehicle body showing door latch mechanism embodying the novelholdopen means but with the door in its closed and latched position;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevation showing a latch member of themechanism in detached relation and on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevation showing a portion of the vehicle bodywith one component of the hold-open means mounted thereon;

FIG. 5 is a partial horizontal section taken as indicated by sectionline 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial vertical section taken as indicated by section line6-6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a partial vertical section similar to FIG. 6 except showing amodified rub-rail construction.

The hold-open means 10 of this invention is shown applied to a vehiclebody 11 for holding a swingable door 12 thereof in a desired openposition adjacent a side wall 13 of the vehicle body. The hold-openmeans 10 is associated with door control mechanism 14 of the latch andkeeper type and comprises, in general, a projecting stem or finger means16 carried by the door 12 and a holding unit 17 mounted on the wall 13for releasable holding co-operation with such finger means.

The vehicle body 11 is here shown as having a rear opening 19 affordingaccess to a cargo space such as a refrigerated chamber and which openingis adapted to be closed by the door 12. In this instance, the opening 19is closed partially by the door 12 and partially by a second swingabledoor 20 to which another hold-open means 10 can be applied. The vehiclebody 11 includes a lower doorframe portion 21 beneath the access opening19 and an upright doorframe portion 22 along one side of the accessopening. The door 12 is mounted on the upright doorframe portion 22 bysuitable hinges 24.

The latch mechanism 14 controls the door 12 and retains the same in adoor-latched condition when the door has been swung to a positionclosing the access opening 19 as shown in FIG. 2. The latch mechanism 14comprises a keeper 25 of a conventional form mounted on the lowerdoorframe portion 21, and a latch member 26 carried by the door 12 andadapted for latching engagement with the keeper. The keeper 25 has anopening 27 for movably receiving the latch member 26.

The latch member 26 is here shown as being of the swingable type and ashaving a cam-like tapered shape suitable for its intended latchingengagement in the keeper opening 27. The latch member 26 is carried andactuated by a vertically disposed rotatable bar 29 mounted on the door12 as by means of suitable support brackets 31 and 31. The bar 29 isrotatable on a pivot axis 32, as by means of a suitable handle 33, forcausing doorlatching and door-unlatching co-operation of the latchmember 26 with the keeper 25. Although the drawings show only one keeperand one latch member, the mechanism 14 usually comprises upper and lowerkeepers on the vehicle body 11 and upper and lower latch members on theactuating bar 29.

The finger means 16 of the hold-open means 10 comprises a stemprojection on the latch member 26 and depending therefrom so as to liesubstantially on the pivot axis 32. The finger means 16 is rigid withthe latch member 26 and can be formed as an integral portion thereof.The drawings show the finger means 16 as comprising a substantiallycylindrical stem 35 having, at the lower end thereof, a retainingshoulder or flange preferably in the form of an annular bead 36extending therearound and the purpose of which will be explainedhereinafter.

The holding unit 17 comprises a mounting bracket 38 (see FIGS. 4, 5 and6) and a restraining member 39 swingably supported thereby. The bracket38 includes a base plate 4% adapted to be secured to the wall 13 of thevehicle body 11 as by suitable screws 41. The restraining member 39comprises a plate portion 42 having a slot-like opening 43, and a pairof lugs 44 disposed adjacent a similar pair of lugs 45 on the bracket38. The restraining member 39 is swingably connected with the bracket 33by a hinge pin 46 extending through the pairs of lugs 44 and 45.

When the hold-open means is not being used, the plate portion 42 of therestraining member 39 occupies a parked position against the side of thevehicle body 11. The restraining member 39 is continuously urged towardthis parked position by a spring 47 provided on the bracket 38 anddisposed around the hinge pin 46. In the embodiment shown, the plate 42of the restraining member 39 when in its inoperative position, engages arub-rail 48 along the side of the body of the vehicle. The upper end ofthe plate is spaced slightly from the vehicle wall thus allowing it tobe readily grasped and swung toward its operating position. When therestraining member 39 is in the parked location, it will be in aretracted position not likely to cause personal injury or be subject todamage.

The slot 43 of the restraining member 39 is of a size and shape toreadily receive the finger means 16 of the latch member 26 when the door12 is swung to its fullopen position adjacent the wall 13. To enable theslot 43 to receive the finger means 16, the restraining member 39 ismanually grasped preferably by the portion thereof above the rub-rail 48and which portion is spaced slightly from the main side wall 13 of thebody 11 by the bumper rail, and swung downwardly from its parkedposition to its phantom-line position 39 shown in FIG. 6, at which timethe restraining member projects laterally from the vehicle body. Whenthe door 12 has arrived at its full-open position alongside the wall 13,the finger means 16 will then be above the phantom-line position 39 ofthe restraining member and, upon release of the restraining member, thespring 47 will swing the same upwardly to cause the finger means toenter the slot 43.

When the finger means 16 has been thus engaged in the slot 43, therestraining member 39 will hold the door 12 in the full-open positionshown in FIG. 1 and the door will remain in this position until theoperator releases the finger means from the slot. The finger means 16can be readily released from the slot 43 by manually swinging therestraining member 39 downwardly from the phantom-line position 39 inopposition to the spring 47, whereupon the door 12 can be swung back toits closed position. After the disengagement of the finger means 16 fromthe slot 43, the restraining member 39 is released by the operator andis thereupon swung upwardly to its full-line parked position against thebody of the vehicle by the spring 47.

The retaining shoulder 36 provided on the finger means 35 serves toprevent accidental disengagement of the finger means from the slot 43 ofthe restraining member 39. If the door 12 has a tendency to swing towardits closed position by gravity, or by the action of the wind against thedoor, the shoulder 36 will catch against the underside of therestraining member 39 for retaining the finger means engaged in the slot43.

The longitudinal rub-rail 48 on the side wall 13 may be interrupted by agap 49, FIG. 7, at the location of the holding unit 17 of the hold-openmeans 10, and the unit 17 is attached to the side wall 13 so that themember 39 will lie in the gap 49 of the rub-rail. When in this location,the unit 17 will be less exposed to damage or to cause damage, inasmuchas it will be shielded by the rubrail.

From the accompanying drawing and the foregoing detailed description itwill now be readily understood that this invention provides novel doorcontrol mechanism having associated hold-open means by which a swingabledoor can be releasably held in a desired open position to which it hasbeen swung. It will now also be recognized that the novel door controlmechanism with its associated hold-open means, as provided by thisinvention, is of a simple and practical construction and can be readilyapplied to the swingable door of a vehicle body.

Although the door control mechanism of this inven tion has beenillustrated and described herein to a somewhat detailed extent, it willbe understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded asbeing correspondingly limited in scope but includes all changes andmodifications coming within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a doorframe portion and a sidewall; a rub-rail mounted on said side wall and having a gap therein;latch means adapted for mounting on the door comprising a latch membermovable relative to the door to door-latched and door-unlatchedpositions, and actuating means efiective to move the latch member fromone to the other of said positions; and hold-open means adapted formounting on said side wall in said gap to be engaged by a portion ofsaid latch means when said doors has been swung to an open positionadjacent said wall; said hold-open means comprising mounting means, anda door-restraining member supported by and movable relative to saidmounting means and having an opening for releasably receiving thelast-mentioned portion.

2. In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a doorframe portion and a wall;latch means adapted for mounting on the door comprising a latch membermovable relative to the door to door-latched and door-unlatchedpositions, and actuating means effective to move the latch member fromone to the other of said positions; and holdopen means adapted formounting on said wall in a location to be engaged by a portion of saidlatch member when said door has been swung to an open position adjacentsaid wall; said hold-open means comprising bracket means having a seatportion engageable with said wall, and a door-restraining plate memberswingably supported by said bracket means and having an opening forreleasably receiving said latch member portion, said doorrestrainingplate member being swingable between an unengageable position adjacentsaid wall and an engageable position projecting laterally from saidwall; and means normally urging said door-restraining plate membertowards said unengageable position.

3. In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a doorframe portion and a sidewall; latch means adapted for mounting on the door comprising a latchmember movable relative to the door to door-latched and door-unlatchedpositions, and actuating means efiective to move the latch member fromone to the other of said positions; holdopen means adapted for mountingon said side wall in a location to be engaged by a portion of said latchmember when said door has been swung to an open position adjacent saidwall; said hold-open means comprising mounting means, and adoor-restraining member swingable relative to said mounting means andhaving an opening for releasably receiving said latch member portion;said restraining member being swingable between a parked position inengagement with said wall and an effective position projecting laterallyfrom said wall; and spring means normally urging said restraining membertoward said parked position.

4. Door control apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said structureincludes a laterally projecting longitudinally extending rub-railmounted on said side wall and interrupted by a gap; said hold-open meansbeing mounted on said wall at the location of said gap.

5. In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a doorframe portion and a sidewall; a keeper adapted for mounting on said doorframe portion; latchmeans adapted for mounting on the door comprising a latch member movablerelative to the door and to and from a doorlatched position inengagement with said keeper, and actuating means supporting said latchmember and efiective to cause the latching and unlatching movementthereof; said latch member projecting in one direction from said latchmeans; finger means projecting in another direction from said latchmeans; and hold-open means adapted for mounting on said said wall forholding said door in an open position adjacent the wall; said hold-openmeans comprising mounting means, and a door-restraining member swingablerelative to said mounting means and having an opening for releasablyreceiving said finger means.

6. In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a doorframe portion and a sidewall; a keeper adapted for mounting on said doorframe portion; latchmeans adapted for mounting on the door comprising actuating meansrotatable on an upright pivot axis, and a latch member movable relativeto the door and to and from a door-latched position in engagement withsaid keeper; said latch member being supported by said actuating meansand projecting therefrom in a direction transverse to said axis; fingermeans connected with said latch means and projecting therefrom alongsaid axis; and hold-open means adapted for mounting on said side wallfor holding said door in an open position adjacent the wall; saidhold-open means comprising mounting means, and a door-restraining memberswingable relative to said mounting means and having an opening forreleasably receiving said finger means.

7. Door control apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said actuatingmeans comprises a bar having said latch member rigid therewith at oneend thereof; said finger means being carried by said latch member andprojecting therefrom on the side remote from said bar.

8. Door control apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said keeper has alatch-receiving opening; said latch member comprising a cam membermovable into said latch-receiving opening in camming co-operation withsaid keeper; said actuating means comprising a bar having said latchmember rigid therewith at one end thereof; said finger means beingcarried by said latch member and projecting therefrom on the side remotefrom said bar.

9. In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a doorframe portion and a sidewall; a keeper adapted for mounting on said doorframe portion; latchmeans adapted for mounting on the door comprising a latch member movablerelative to the door and to and from a doorlatched position inengagement with said keeper, and actuating means supporting said latchmember and effective to cause the latching and unlatching movementthereof;

said latch member projecting in one direction relative to said actuatingmeans; finger means projecting in another direction relative to saidactuating means; hold-open means adapted for mounting on said side wallfor holding said door in an open position adjacent the wall; saidhold-open means comprising mounting means, and a doorrestraining memberswingable relative to said mounting means and having an opening forreleasably receiving said finger means; and spring means for urging saidrestraining member in a direction to maintain said finger means engagedin said opening; said restraining member being manually movable inopposition to said spring means for disengaging the restraining memberfrom said finger means.

It). In control apparatus for a door swingable to open and closedpositions relative to a structure having a lower doorframe portion andan upright side wall; a keeper adapted for mounting on said doorframeportion; latch means adapted for mounting on said door comprising anupright actuating bar rotatable on a substantially vertical axis, and alatch member movable by said bar to and from a door-latched position inengagement with said keeper; said latch member being connected with saidbar adjacent the lower end thereof so as to project therefrom in adirection transverse to said axis; a stem rigid with and depending fromsaid latch member and located on said axis; hold-open means adapted formounting on said side wall for holding said door in an open positionadjacent the wall comprising a mounting bracket, and a door-restrainingmember swingable on said bracket and having an opening for releasablyreceiving said stem; and spring means urging said restraining means inan upward direction for causing engagement of said stem in said opening.

11. Door control apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said stem hasshoulder means adjacent. the free end thereof for preventing accidentaldisengagement of the stem from said opening.

12. Door control apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said structureincludes rub-rail means mounted on said side wall and interrupted by agap; said hold-open means being in said gap and said restraining memberbeing movable by said spring means to a parked position adjacent saidside wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,143 4/1908Marten 292218 1,071,730 9/1913 Garland. 1,536,110 5/1925 Lewis M 292-2181,952,112 3/1934 Bartsch 292241 X 2,635,909 4/1953 Olander 292-2462,661,973 12/1953 Swcger 292246 ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, In, Examiner.

1. IN CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A DOOR SWINGABLE TO OPEN AND CLOSEDPOSITIONS RELATIVE TO A STRUCUTRE HAVING A DOORFRAME PORTION AND A SIDEWALL; A RUB-RAIL MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE WALL AND HAVING A GAP THEREIN;LATCH MEANS ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON THE DOOR COMPRISING A LATCH MEMBERMOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE DOOR TO DOOR-LATCHED AND DOOR-UNLATCHEDPOSITIONS, AND ACTUATING MEANS EFFECTIVE TO MOVE THE LATCH MEMBER FROMONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS; AND HOLD-OPEN MEANS ADAPTED FORMOUNTING ON SAID SIDE WALL IN SAID GAP TO BE ENGAGED BY A PORTION OFSAID LATCH MEANS WHEN SAID DOORS HAS BEEN SWUNG TO AN OPEN POSITIONADJACENT SAID WALL; SAID HOLD-OPEN MEANS COMPRISING MOUNTING MEANS, ANDA DOOR-RESTRAINING MEMBER SUPPORTED BY AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAIDMOUNTING MEANS AND HAVING AN OPENING FOR RELEASABLY RECEIVING THELAST-MENTIONED PORTION.